Zee Deveel by Incubus Lyrics Meaning – Unveiling the Satire in Modern Materialism
Lyrics
A trophy? badge of honor? over compensation?
Price tags! advertise yer pride
Since when did what we paid for colored cloth
Gage our gravity?
You should be careful what you wish for
Cause everyone of us has the devil inside
You should be careful what you wish for
Cause all of what amounts becomes you
Nice watch man d’ya got the time
There’s never enough and it always goes too slow
You should be careful what you wish for
Cause everyone of us has the devil inside
You should be careful what you wish for
Cause all of what amounts becomes you
Yeah you got’cha little world
Picture perfect its a pearl
Now go and try to sleep
In the bed you made
Incubus, known for their poetic exploration of life’s nuanced corridors, plucks at the strings of society’s materialistic guitar with ‘Zee Deveel.’ The track, seeped in a blend of alternative rock ethos and lyrical pensiveness, scrutinizes the threadbare fabric of modern material seduction. It is a cultural dissection, as much as it is a musical interlude, into the heart of human desires and the consequential metamorphosis therein.
Bracing themselves against the onslaught of material values, Incubus steers the conversation towards an introspective dive into the associations we make with objects and the self-worth we extract from them. The poetry of ‘Zee Deveel’ beckons a closer listen, teasing apart the intricate layers woven into the vibrant tapestry of its composition.
The Siren Call of Consumerism Dissected
It starts with a car, a symbol of status and a modern chariot of personal success. ‘Nice car where’d ya get your ride’ isn’t just a casual inquiry — it’s a piercing commentary on the need to flaunt one’s achievements through tangible assets. The song wastes no time delving into the heart of material pride; these purchases serve as ‘badges of honor’ that mask a deeper insufficiency within us.
Incubus draws our gaze to ‘Price tags! advertise yer pride,’ a scathing observation that our self-importance has now gained a price tag, often at the cost of true human connection and self-actualization. In a society where possessions often speak louder than actions, ‘Zee Deveel’ raises a mirror to the distorted values we’re taught to chase.
Time, The Ever-Evasive Commodity
The sentiment intensifies as the narrative shifts to the intangibles with ‘Nice watch man d’ya got the time.’ Here the band juxtaposes the futility of owning time — through a watch — against the relentless desire for more of it. It’s an echo of our collective frustration, tied not to the scarcity of time, but rather to the misplacement of our priorities within it.
Incubus acknowledges the ever-present chase for time as futile as it is ironic; the more we try to capture it, the more it slips through our fingers. This sardonic outcry serves to remind us to place value on experiences and presence over the pursuit of what’s next on the conveyor belt of consumerism.
Devil in the Details: The Song’s Hidden Meaning
Buried beneath the initial derision of materialism is a profound realization — ‘You should be careful what you wish for, Cause everyone of us has the devil inside.’ This devil is not one of myth, but of inherent human flaws, our desires that lean towards the material as a salve for internal voids.
Moreover, Incubus captures the essence of personal accountability, reminding us that we become what we acquire. This devil within is then not only our desires but the transformation we undergo by succumbing to them. We might cloak the devil in silk and drape it in jewels, but ‘Zee Deveel’ challenges the listener to examine what lurks beneath the surface of their adorned exteriors.
The Pearl of Perfection in Our Little Worlds
There is no bitter pill without a sugar coating, as Incubus presents us with the illusion of a ‘Picture perfect its a pearl.’ The song paints the facade of flawlessness we construct around our lives, building little personal empires that radiate success but may lack substance and inner peace.
It begs the question: Is this pearl, this picture-perfect life we’ve portrayed, indeed reflecting our authentic selves, or is it just a lustrous layer hiding something less glamorous? A stark reminder from the band prompts us to ponder on the authenticity of our happiness, mirrored in the life we’ve meticulously styled.
Memorable Lines That Strike a Chord
Amid the allegorical richness of ‘Zee Deveel,’ certain phrases like ‘In the bed you made’ resonate with a familiar tone. It’s a phrase engrained in our cultural dialogue, summoning imagery of consequences and the beds we lay in as a result of our choices — a summing up of life’s ledger where choices and outcomes lie in tandem.
This closing statement encases the song’s message in a sobering echo of finality: the idea that we must eventually lie in the reality we’ve garnished with our values, purchases, and time, suggesting a life lived in pursuit of the material is a bed of discomfort, regardless of its opulence or social cachet.
